1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for carrying out easy, fast and accurate three-dimensional measurement of the deformation of damaged vehicles.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Reconstruction is often required to evaluate the causes and circumstances of an accident involving one or many vehicles.
The deformation of the damaged vehicles is one parameter that is scrutinized in this process. The amount of deformation can be one way of assessing severity of the accident but can also be used to calculate velocity change and mean acceleration. Also, the location of the deformation is indicative of, for example, the trajectory of the vehicles upon impact.
Three-dimensional deformation of the damaged vehicles are measured and these data are entered into a computer. The program compares these measurement data to corresponding data of the same non damaged vehicles to reconstruct the accident.
The collection of field data concerning vehicle deformation is, however, time consuming. The deformation measurement is normally taken manually with a low precision and few measurements taken. Need has therefore arisen for less time consuming manual deformation measurement techniques with higher precision.